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Mike Lucas: Michigan's Jamison adjusts to life with new coach

Mike Lucas  —  8/15/2008 9:23 am

Editor's note: Part 2 of a series previewing each Big Ten Conference football team (scroll to bottom for complete schedule).

Three years ago, University of Michigan defensive end Tim Jamison served as a sounding board for his little brother.

Jamison advised him to manage his schooling first before attempting to balance his schedule with a commitment to football.

His argument?

Getting a sound base academically was a safety net -- protection for what might happen athletically: good, bad or indifferent.

For a very short time, it was very good for defensive end Terrance Jamison, the University of Wisconsin's Scout Team Player of the Year on defense in 2005.

UW head coach Bret Bielema, then the defensive coordinator, said of Jamison, then a redshirted freshman, "The biggest thing you appreciate as a coach is that Terrance is a tireless worker."

Added Bielema, "He's out there every day working from the beginning to the end in practice. That's how you get better."

But it didn't get better for Terrance Jamison, who had shown so much promise. His physical condition got worse to the point where he could no longer compete due to chronic knee issues.

Before the 2007 season opener against Washington State, Bielema announced that Jamison's football career was over. But he would stay in school and complete his work toward a degree in civil engineering.

So he has.

In addition, Jamison has been working within the athletic department and football office.

During the recent Big Ten Kickoff meetings in Chicago, Jamison's older brother -- Tim -- talked about his sibling.

"I won't say he (Terrance) is frustrated because he's not playing anymore," he said. "I'm not saying he doesn't miss it. But, academically, he's going to do some great things in the future.

"In high school, when people asked, 'Is your brother better than you are?' I would tell them, 'Yep.' To be honest, he could have been better. But he's handling everything real well."

The same could be said for Tim Jamison, who has been dealing with some major changes in his life, triggered by Michigan's hiring of coach Rich Rodriguez.

Jamison, 22, a fifth-year senior, was recruited and mentored by former head coach Lloyd Carr.

Was change needed?

"Was change needed?" said Jamison, slowly repeating the question and deliberating over a response. "I have no idea.

"They are different coaches with different styles. Coach Carr was ready to retire, and a new coach has stepped in, coach Rod, and we're doing it his way."

To this end, Jamison confided, "Change has been good."

Good how?

"As a team, we're faster," he said. "As a team, we're stronger."

Conditioning has been a priority under Rodriguez and his strength guru, Mike Barwis, who has brought a new urgency to the Wolverines in the weight room.

"Seeing the changes in your body gives everyone more confidence," said Jamison, who toned up and thinned down to 263.

He cited the example of All-Big Ten defensive tackle Terrance Taylor, who lost 23 pounds.

"He's so much faster and stronger," Jamison pointed out. "And he feels so good about himself that he's running around the locker room with his shirt off."

You get the picture.

So now does Jamison.

"We will be a team that will play from start to finish this year," he said of his own expectations for the Wolverines.

"We will be a team that won't take any plays off -- we'll be very conditioned and disciplined."

He credited Rodriguez for changing the Michigan culture, however you want to spin it.

"From the first day, he let us know that it was going to be hard," Jamison recalled. "He told us winter conditioning was going to be hard and spring ball was going to be even harder.

"He told us summer conditioning was going to be harder than that, and training camp was going to be harder still. So we knew what to expect from him.

"We might be in pain now," Jamison concluded, "but I think we'll be happy with the end result. He also told us that."

Jamison didn't have to be told how crazy it would get in Ann Arbor after the Wolverines opened the 2007 season with an 0-2 record, including a stunning loss to Appalachian State.

"Despite being in the spotlight as the biggest upset in college football," he said, "we stayed together as a team, we didn't lose our confidence, and we finished strong with a bowl win."

But not even a victory over No. 9 ranked Florida in the Capital One Bowl restored the pride or the confidence in the program from an outsider's perspective.

As a result, Michigan was not even projected among the top three finishers in the Big Ten in a preseason media poll.

And that's understandable given the losses on offense.

The Wolverines must replace their all-time leading rusher (Mike Hart) and passer (Chad Henne) and the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft (tackle Jake Long).

Plus, they must move on without their top two wide receivers: Mario Manningham (72 catches) and Adrian Arrington (67).

Thus, there will be pressure on the defense to carry the offense until the latter can establish some credibility and an identity.

"We knew it was going to come down to this," said Jamison, a three-year letter-winner with 13 career starts at defensive end.

"I expect us to do great things this year. Our goals never change at Michigan. We have big goals. And we're not rebuilding.

"I know they're talking bad about our team," Jamison said of the preseason previews. "But we all know the preseason really doesn't mean anything. The end result is what really counts."

He then issued a challenge to the naysayers. "Count us out," he ordered, "that's what we want. We like being under the radar."

The biggest and most telling change of all at Michigan.

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BIG TEN PREVIEWS

Wednesday, Aug. 6 -- Minnesota: Decker revels in double duty 

A year removed from a move into an on-campus stadium, can the Gophers make a significant jump from a 1-11 start to the Tim Brewster coaching era?

Friday, Aug. 8 -- Michigan: Jamison brothers know how to adapt 

The Wolverines went outside the "Michigan Man" lineage, and coach Rich Rodriguez has overhauled both the offensive and defensive schemes.

Monday, Aug. 11 -- Penn State: High hopes rest on yet-to-be-named quarterback 

The Nittany Lions, coming off a 9-4 campaign, return 18 players with starting experience for their 43rd -- and perhaps final -- season under coach Joe Paterno.

Wednesday, Aug. 13 -- Iowa: Turmoil continues off the field 

The Hawkeyes missed a bowl game last season for the first time in 2000, raising questions about the direction of the program under Kirk Ferentz, one of the most highly paid coaches in the nation.

Friday, Aug. 15 -- Indiana: Starr sees football renaissance 

The Hoosiers won't have Michigan or Ohio State on the schedule for the second year in a row, and play eight of their first 10 games at home.

Monday, Aug. 18 -- Michigan State

The Spartans return two key cogs of the highest-scoring offense in the Big Ten last year in Brian Hoyer and Javon Ringer, and aim to build on the momentum of a Champs Sports Bowl berth.

Wednesday, Aug. 20 -- Ohio State

Back-to-back drubbings in the national title game haven't dampened the optimism surrounding the Buckeyes, who are a consensus top-3 preseason pick and get an early showdown at Southern Cal.

Friday, Aug. 22 -- Illinois

The Illini made a surprising run to the Rose Bowl last season and harbor aspirations of a second straight BCS appearance behind the likes of quarterback Juice Williams and receiver Arrelious Benn, the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Monday, Aug. 25 -- Purdue and Northwestern

The Badgers won't face either team this season meaning they miss out on the final year of the Joe Tiller era at Purdue and a chance to square off against former defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, now at Northwestern.

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MICHIGAN SKINNY

Last season: 9-4; 6-2 Big Ten.

Braintrust: head coach Rich Rodriguez, first year; offensive coordinator Calvin Magee, first year; defensive coordinator Scott Shafer, first year.

Returning starters: 3 offense, 7 defense.

All-Big Ten returnees: defensive tackle Terrance Taylor, second team.

Triggerman: No. 10, Steven Threet, a redshirt freshman from Adrian, Mich., is the front-runner after transferring last fall from Georgia Tech. Conceptually, he should have no trouble learning the nuances of the spread. He was the class valedictorian in high school.

Cheesehead Connection: The Badgers recruited Threet.

By the numbers: As part of Michigan Stadium's $226 million renovation, there will be fewer seats. Capacity will be 106,201, which means the Big House is no longer the biggest. That distinction now belongs to Penn State's Beaver Stadium (107,282).

Famous alums: Gerald Ford, James Earl Jones, Mike Wallace.

Mascot grade: A. The late Bo Schembechler is still the face of the program, and his famous declaration -- "Those who stay will be champions'' -- has been embroidered on the new Michigan jersey.

Rodriguez sez: "We have so many guys being first-year starters in key positions. I think they're going to be OK, but until we get them in there, get the nerves out and get some experience, there'll be some nervous moments."

2008 schedule:

(seven home, five road)

Aug. 30   Utah

Sept. 6    Miami (Ohio)

Sept. 13  at Notre Dame

Sept. 20  bye

Sept. 27  WISCONSIN

Oct. 4      Illinois

Oct. 11    Toledo

Oct. 18    at Penn State

Oct. 25    Michigan State

Nov. 1     at Purdue

Nov. 8     at Minnesota

Nov. 15    Northwestern

Nov. 22    at Ohio State

Not on schedule: Indiana, Iowa

Mike Lucas  —  8/15/2008 9:23 am